Seal of, 2012
Pierson’s story
150 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2012.
- 1876Pierson is settled
Barberville Central High School · Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY 2.5
Population
1,555
2025 Census estimate · +1.3% since 2020
Typical home
$347K
+5.2% in a year
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
44.7
years
Jobs based here
932
Balanced
Is Pierson a good place to live?
Pierson’s weakest subject grade is a D for hazard risk. 12% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Pierson, below both the Florida town median (31%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Pierson's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 94% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Pierson Town Park Sports Complex, at 37 acres. Pierson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
A shrinking town
Pierson has shrunk 10% since 2010
1,736 counted in 2010 and 1,542 in 2020; an estimated 1,555 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Pierson grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Pierson is from typical.
Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeC−Open →HealthAdventhealth Deland 16.1 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingC+Open →SchoolsB−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.7 of 20; 2.5% of households have no car; 7.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trailsCOpen →HistoryCOpen →Civic life2.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Pierson: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pierson, and how to reach them.
PowerDuke Energy18.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Pierson water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpMondayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Florida you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereVolusia Supervisor of ElectionsVolusia County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code3218032180 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Pierson.
HealthC
Residents of Pierson are less healthy than 74% of U.S. towns
Pierson beats the Florida average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 24% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Pierson, where Florida’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 8.1%. 26% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Pierson.
26%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Pierson | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 14% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 20% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 25% | 25% |
31 measures vs. Florida
0 better20 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Pierson | FL |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 23.9% | 15.9% |
| More adults in fair or poor health | 25.5% | 20.3% |
| More smokers | 15.5% | 12.4% |
Adventhealth Deland
16.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
Pierson’s schools rank ahead of 53% of Florida districts
Its public schools are run by the Volusia school district. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is T. Dewitt Taylor Middle-High School, with 1,044 students.
53%of FL districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pierson Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 534 | B− |
| T. Dewitt Taylor Middle-High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 1,044 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Hurricanes leads a high hazard risk in Pierson
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 77% of U.S. communities.
77risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingCold waves
14
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Pierson has mild winters and hot summers
Pierson has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Pierson is 92°F.
92°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter49–71°
Spring59–82°
Summer72–91°
Fall64–83°
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
A job hub: Pierson has 1.3 jobs for every working resident and draws in 866 commuters
Most working residents leave Pierson for work: only 9% work in town. Since 2013, Pierson has added 325 jobs, to 932 in 2023. Pierson’s median household income is $57,000.
9%work in town
| Pierson | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.4% | 5% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Pierson9%
DeLand13%
Daytona Beach5%
Orlando4%
Jacksonville4%
26 mi
median commute distance
932
jobs based in Pierson
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 52% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade C+
A typical Pierson home is worth about $347K
The typical Pierson home is worth about $347,000, up 5.2% in a year, 8% below the Florida typical home.
$347KZillow home value
Typical home value
Pierson$347K
Florida$375K
+5.2%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsC
Pierson has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
2.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 1 of 6,969 acres
2.2 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pierson Town Park Sports Complex | 0.3 mi | 37 |
| 2. North Palmetto Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 84 attractions →Ocala National Forest and 30 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pierson. Close and well known come first.
23 mi National forestOcala National Forest
24 mi MuseumMotorsports Hall of Fame of America
33 mi Theme parkMarineland of Florida
22 mi State parkBlue Spring State Park
35 mi National MonumentFort Matanzas National Monument653K visitors a year
36 mi Zoo & aquariumSilver SpringsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Ocala National Forest: Sandra Friend, Public domain · Motorsports Hall of Fame of America: WillRStroh97, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marineland of Florida: Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5 · Blue Spring State Park: Rizka, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Matanzas National Monument: Saginaw66, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Silver Springs: NeilEvans, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pierson
18pages on Pierson
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Pierson; the nearest are
Stetson UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · DeLand17.1 mi$57,410 tuitionDaytona State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Daytona Beach24.7 mi$3,106 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Pierson residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Florida.
About Pierson
Town in the state of Florida, United States
Pierson is a town in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The town is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,542 as of the 2020 census. Pierson bills itself as the "Fern Capital of the World". The town is heavily reliant on agriculture which mainly consists of fern growing. Its ferns are exported worldwide for use in floral arrangements and other decorations.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1876
- Area
- 11 sq mi
- Elevation
- 75 ft
- ZIP code
- 32180
- Area code
- 386
Questions about Pierson
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pierson, FL expensive?
That is 4.9 years of the area's median household income ($71,277 across the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.